Missing You
by zosimos
Summary: Reverse'verse: Three months is a long time to be gone.


Three months was a long time to be gone. Edward had counted down the days with a religious fervor that was unlike him, growing antsier by the day. Rian had kept in contact when he could, but the desert separating them was huge. There were very few phone lines to Xing, and the majority of them were in the offices of the highest-ranked politicians in the land.

Rian was gone, attending some Xingian princesses who appeared to adore him. He had been suggested as the alchemist to be attached to the delegation by General Stockwell himself, after his own pet State Alchemist was caught playing 'hide the sausage' with one of the princess's handmaidens. Rian was young but not completely naïve and he frankly loved the attention that the princesses heaped on him. He enjoyed being fawned over by adoring, giggling girls. He even got a bit flirty with them, they were all around the same age, and that made Edward a little more nervous than he liked to admit.

Rian had an easygoing charisma with everyone, and now he was helping bodyguard the women as part of their diplomatic delegation to the capital of the Xingian Empire. Edward had been completely against it, but Alphonse was on the delegation as well and if there was anyone out there to trust, it was his little brother.

So Edward was left alone for three. Whole. Months.

Of course, there was Winry to talk to, but she had her hands full with two way-too-precocious children taking apart and trying to transmute everything they could lay hands on. Edward couldn't admit to himself that he was worried; he instead fussed over paperwork and the two rookie soldiers in his command, Cushler and Bailey. He couldn't be _worried_, Rian was an alchemist and a scrapper, he'd be able to handle himself if there was any trouble.

He could be dead and Edward would have no idea.

But he couldn't be, if anything had happened, Alphonse would have let him know. Unless, of course, Alphonse was dead or under arrest or something equally horrible _himself._ It was usually around this time that Edward melted into a useless pile of self-absorbed woe, and Hawkeye would give up and make him go home for the rest of the day. He couldn't help it, any more than he could help breathing.

The day that they finally were set to return, Edward had to be kept at his desk by Hawkeye with a loaded gun. The convoy was mostly disembarking at East City – the majority of the troops, Alphonse included, were part of General Stockwell's garrison. It would be almost a full half-day before the handful of troops, and Rian, would return to Central City.

He swore that the clock moved backwards just to taunt him. Hawkeye actually made him come out of his office and sit at a desk where she could supervise him and make sure he got all his paperwork done, instead of sitting, staring at the swinging pendulum of the clock in his office. Both Cushler and Bailey had exchanged surprised glances at that, both that Hawkeye insisted on it and that Edward had actually _listened_. It was unusual for Edward to sit out there with them and that put everyone else on edge, because they felt like they couldn't joke around.

Havoc of course, was used to things like this. This was the exact same way it had been under a different command, whenever a certain brash alchemist was heard to be finally coming home.

Edward finally got all of his paperwork done under the intense supervision, and then, just to gall him further, Havoc made him go get something to eat before he dropped Edward at the train station. They both knew that Edward didn't want a ride back.

It was decently late, and the train station wasn't as crowded as Edward expected. Some sleepy civilians were unloading, and Edward stood by a pillar, feeling oddly self-conscious. He had spent so much of his life in train stations, in this train station in particular, but now he felt so out-of-place here. He was the one being met by the weary traveler, not the other way around.

Then Edward spotted Rian, making his way across the platform, suitcase slung over his shoulder, jacket and scarf tucked under his arm. Rian saw him and didn't break stride, although he started grinning. Rian stopped in front of Edward and threw a lazy salute up. "'Sup, Colonel."

Edward … blinked, and looked _up_ at Rian.

Rian's grin was huge. Edward looked him up and down and crossed his arms. "Human transmutation is illegal, you know," he informed Rian crossly.

Rian laughed and glanced around, before leaning in to give Edward a very quick kiss when he was certain that they weren't be observed. "I missed you too, colonel."


End file.
